As an introduction, for me, Namibia is blessed by pure natural beauty, space and freedom, and the kindness, humility, and playful nature of its people.

It is the second least populated country in the world (after Mongolia) and, at the same time, Namibia is an incredible melting pot of people from different cultural backgrounds and tribes.

The majority tribe is Ovambo, other ethnic groups are mostly Kavango, Damara, Herero, White, Nama, Caprivian, San, Basters. Namibia is also the land of pioneers, explorers, entrepreneurs, and artists.

Namibia ranks as the 3rd wealthiest country in Africa per capita but also as the second most wealth inequality in the world.

This inequality is a little bit mitigated by tribal subsistence farming in communal land.

As Namibia is in a phase of exponential growth, expected to grow by 60% by 2032, from Oil & Gas, Green Hydrogen and renewable energy, there is great hope that, with a low population of 2.6m people, directly or indirectly, everybody should benefit.

In this context of great cultural diversity, which I find particularly fascinating, I thought it would nice and educational for me (and perhaps for you too), to better understand and appreciate the life of some local people in Namibia. So, here we start:

In Walvis Bay, we live in an apartment and Nikodemus is the gentleman who looks after the outside maintenance of our residence.

Around a cup of tea, Niko generously agreed to tell me about his childhood, education, his work at the farm, getting married, his move to the city and his life today.

CHAPTER 1: NIKODEMUS’ CHILDHOOD

On the 6th of June 1981, Nikodemus Swartbooi was born. (hereafter referred as Niko).

His parents chose his name Nicodemus from the esteemed rabbi in the bible.

As a matter of interest, 80% of Namibians are Christian (mostly Lutherans, which is a branch of Protestantism, and Catholics), and 20% follow Animism.

In most tribes, if you get married, you carry the husband’s surname but interestingly, if you have children together, the children usually carry the mother’s surname.

So, Niko’s surname Swartbooi, comes from his mother’s side and it means black boy.

Also, as soon as you are born, you get a nickname.

Niko’s nickname is “Oukrop” meaning the part of the dove’s throat which stores food to feed the babies (the crop). I interpret it as being the provider of the family.

When Niko grew up, he was very good at playing volleyball and soccer and was nicknamed Tiger by his school friends.

So now, most of his family and friends call him Tiger, which he likes.

Niko’s Mum, Helena, was born from 2 different but similar tribes, the Damara and Nama tribes.
She was a nurse and is now retired.

His father was born from the Herero tribe and died shortly after Niko’s birth. They had 2 children.
When Niko was 3 years’ old, his mother married Paul, and they had 4 children together.

Niko’s stepfather Paul, and his mother Helena

Niko’s stepfather, Paul, is from Deutsch descendant and is a coloured person.
Coloured means of various ancestry, including indigenous (Khoisan, Bantu and others), Whites (including Afrikaners), Indian, Malay…

Jeremia was Niko’s grandfather; he had a farm and was a garbage truck driver at Maltahohe village council from 1985 to 2000. Jeremia then retired and died in 2009 at the age of 68, which is quite an old age in Namibia, as life expectancy is around 62.

Niko spent most of his childhood and education in Maltahohe, a town in Southern Central Namibia of about 6000 inhabitants.

At school, Niko graduated to grade 12 and received his high school diploma.

In Namibia, this is a high level of education and equivalent to a year before A levels in the UK, and la terminale in France.

Local Namibians are very talented with languages and amazingly, Niko speaks Nama, Damara, English, Afrikaans, Baxa taw is sit id (English/Afrikaans in reverse).

To finish our first chapter, here is a little recording of Niko, speaking Damara.

Have a nice evening
Kind regards
Murielle

As Niko has a farm in the communal Land, let us explain how it works:
In Namibia there is commercial farming, where the land is privately owned and there is Communal Land.

Communal land is managed by traditional authorities, who are leaders chosen by the community. They might include Chiefs, Headmen, or other elders who are respected and trusted by the community. Their authority is often based on cultural traditions and the recognition of their leadership by the people they serve.

People who can apply for this communal land typically include members of the community itself, like families or groups living in that area. When someone wants to use this land for farming or other purposes, they need permission from the traditional authorities.

Communal land cannot be bought or sold, but you can be given a customary land right to a part of the communal land. The traditional laws in these areas usually govern how the land is used and inherited, and they’re important for maintaining the harmony and traditions of the community.
There are things you can do on communal land, like farming, grazing animals, or building houses, but you need to follow the rules set by the traditional authorities.

he leaders of Communal Land have various powers and responsibilities:

1. Land Management: They often oversee the allocation and management of communal land, making decisions about how it’s used and who can use it for activities like farming, grazing, or settlement.
2. Conflict Resolution: Traditional authorities may act as mediators in disputes within the community, helping to resolve conflicts and maintain peace.
3. Preservation of Culture and Tradition: They play a crucial role in preserving and promoting cultural practices, customs, and traditional laws within the community.
4. Decision-Making: They make decisions that affect the community, often based on consensus and considering the well-being of the entire community.
5. Representation: They might represent their community in dealings with government authorities or other external entities, advocating for the interests of their people.
6. Their powers can vary depending on the specific traditions and customs of each community, and they usually work in conjunction with government to address local issues.

In many traditional societies, criminal law is often recognized and enforced through customary or traditional practices rather than formal legal systems. Here’s an example of how criminal law might be handled within traditional law:

Let’s say within a community following traditional law, theft is considered a serious crime. If someone is accused of stealing, the matter might be brought before the traditional authorities, which could include the village chief or council of elders.

 

1. Investigation: The traditional authorities, managed by the Chief of the Village, would investigate the accusation, gathering information from witnesses and the accused individual.
2. Mediation: Depending on the severity of the theft and the circumstances, the authorities might opt for mediation between the victim and the accused person’s family. This could involve restitution or compensation to resolve the matter.
3. Sanctions: If the theft is proven and it’s a serious offense, the traditional authorities might impose sanctions such as fines, temporary banishment from the community, or other measures deemed appropriate within their customary laws.
4. Community Involvement: The entire community might be involved in the process, providing input or support for the decision-making process. If it is a really serious offense, a representative group of the community would go to the Governor of the Region , who works together with the government, to help maintain order and solidarity within the community.The traditional legal system often focuses on restorative justice rather than punitive measures. The emphasis is often on restoring balance within the community and repairing the harm caused by the offense.

When there is a private lodge established in communal land, the lodge generally pays a bed-night levy to the local communities surrounding the land that they use. This cost is transferred to the Client/Tourist as a community levy.

There are types of agreements including a joint venture lodge which is the most profitable form of agreement for the local community, people living in the communal land:

It is a partnership between a private investor and the local community. A private investor builds and operates the lodge and the community receives a share of the benefits. This is the case of Damaraland Camp, which has a partnership between the Torra Concervancy and Wilderness Safaris.

The private investors also invest in the training of skills of local employees giving training in tourism including professional and managerial skills.

Local community residents also sell food, building materials, crafts and food to tourists.

The community levies on lodges, the help of the government for agriculture, the sell of cattle, crops, crafts, employment of local community in lodges, private sector, living museums, all help contribute income to the people living in communal land although it may be difficult to know how many local people benefit and who benefits.

What is interesting also is you can be a Chief, a Headman (a Headman acts as Agent of the Chief and their responsibility only goes to the Chief), in the communal land, and at the same time working in a lodge, where you are not the boss and have to comply with the rules and bow to the hierarchy of the company.

Even if you are the President of the Republic of Namibia, when you are going to your tribal community village, you have to bow to the rules of the Community.

As it is the case for Niko, mostly young children and grandparents live in the communal farms while the adults are working in the city. They often help their elders financially and also enjoy going on holiday and family gatherings at the farm.

During Covid, many people went back to the Communal farms to survive.

Next time, we will explain the transition of Niko from living in the farm to working in the city, getting married, and settling in Walvis Bay.

Enjoy your Sunday. Kind regards

Murielle

 

Earlier this year, I visited the small town of Oranjemund, which is about 300km South of Luderitz (previous blog), Extreme Southwest part of Namibia.

Oranjemund is one of the world’s richest diamond areas, where the Orange River flows into the Atlantic Ocean, the River being the boundary between Namibia and South Africa.
At 10mn away, there is the border post to South Africa, at Ernest Oppenheimer Bridge, and the nearest town in South Africa is Alexander Bay
The diamond mine opened in 1936 and belonged to De Beers. (today 50% De Beers, 50% Namibian Government).

Almost everything in Oranjemund belonged to the Mine. That is why it was not opened to the public until 2017.
Before 2017, the Public was forbidden to enter the Town. Only employees and their relatives were allowed access.
Unlike Kolmanskop, the diamond mine in Oranjemund is still open and extracts in the region of 2 million carats (400kg) per year.

Many Nationalities
At the time of the diamond rush and later, people living in Oranjemund (about 15,000) came from countries as diverse as America, France, Greece, Scotland, England, Ireland, Wales, Germany, South Africa, Australia, Poland Yugoslavia, Italy, Canada, Angola, Rhodesia, Zambia, Botswana, Argentina.
In the pubs around town, these individuals would be known by their nicknames like Gordon the Butcher, Danny the Greek, Big Dirk, Magic Allen, Tommy the Shark, Mike the Gypsy, etc.

Contract of employment at the time: 54 hours a week
In the 30s, their contracts of employment stated: 54 hours are to be worked per week, so that they worked from sunrise to sundown as a rule.
If one person had been employed for a whole year without a day off, then he was granted 5 days off work, and after 5 years of employment he was eligible for 9 days’ holiday.

Flying to School
There was no High School in Oranjemund, so most youngsters were shipped by planes to various schools in South Africa.

DIAMOND SMUGGLERS
At random, the employees and their relatives were X-rayed when leaving town.
Diamond theft is heavily punished, and one wonders how it is still possible to smuggle the precious stones from the mines.
It is fascinating to see how creative smugglers can be.
During the early days of the diamond rush, diamonds were smuggled in cigarette packets and matchboxes, but of course such tricks were soon well known so the thieves had to be ever more innovative.
The diamonds were transported in radios and tape recorders, shoes and heels, sewn into clothing, in guns, and even in the stomach or intestines. There were also the carrier pigeons.

Carrier Pigeons
There was the story that an employee had trained a pigeon to memorize the route from his home to the Diamond mine. One day, going to work at the Diamond Mine, he hid the pigeon in his lunch box. When the time was opportune, he strapped a little pouch on the chest of the pigeon, and filled it with diamonds, so that the pigeon could fly to the man’s home with the booty.
Unfortunately, the pouch with the stolen diamonds became too heavy, the bird struggled to fly and landed exhausted, at the entrance of the Mine, almost at the feet of a Security Guard.
When the Guard saw this unusual pigeon, he raised the alarm. They recovered the diamonds, released the pigeon and followed where the pigeon was heading to later arrest the culprit.
There are many stories of smuggling diamonds.
Some make it, some get caught.

The Flight of Diamonds
Another unsuccessful and fantastic story was one of a geologist who worked for the diamond company, who stored a valuable cache of diamonds, on the coast, and then left the mine.
He then travelled to Cape Town and found a pilot willing to fly him back, up to the diamond fields, to recover the cache.
They flew up and landed on the beach near the cache, but when they landed the aircraft became bogged and they could not take off again.
Shortly afterwards, the men were arrested with the diamonds and the aircraft was confiscated.

Something that my Friend Judy told me, whose father was working at Oranjemund mine from the 1966 to 1975 is that when DeBeers celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the Company, they generously gave 1 carat of good quality diamond to all their employees and company’s pensioners.
Who knows how many people received the 1 carat diamond!.

Good evening everybody. See you next time for Part 2.

Today we are going to experience Hot Air Ballooning in Sossusvlei.

This is a unique, grand, and romantic experience.

It is best to stay the night before close-by, as generally you need to arrive at the Namib Sky Balloon Safaris base early.
A convenient spot to stay is at Le Mirage lodge, which is only 1 km away and the food is very good.

1h30 before dawn (in our case it was at 05:30) you arrive at Namib Sky base for registration and you are then transferred on a 4×4 to the launch site, which was about 15mn away.
Namib Sky Balloon Safaris is a family business. The Owner Dennis is from Belgium and his wife Andrea is Portuguese.
Except for pregnant women and children under 6 years’ old (if their height is under 1.2m), anybody can join. In their case, they can follow the balloon with the ground crew in the 4×4 vehicle and there is a babysitter for children, if required.

The balloon flight in Sossusvlei/Namibrand lasts about 1hr and our bird’s view is magnificent over the orange desert and undulating dunes.

The landing was also fun as we landed directly onto the trailer!!

After the flight, we all gather and enjoy a delicious buffet Champagne breakfast/brunch, in the middle of the desert. It is really top class.

If you have the opportunity, hot air ballooning in Sossusvlei/Namibrand is a wonderful and memorable experience to have.

Kind regards/Cordialement

Murielle